New technologies for off-grid villages: A look ahead Workshop Report 1 January 2014 CAMBRIDGE, UK Key words: Off-Grid Energy, Smart Villages, Inno- vation, Entrepreneurship Smart Villages We aim to provide policymakers, donors, and development agencies concerned with rural energy access with new insights on the real barriers to energy access in villages in developing countries— technological, financial and political—and how they can be overcome. We have chosen to focus on remote off-grid villages, where local solutions (home- or institution-based systems and mini-grids) are both more realistic and cheaper than national grid extension. Our concern is to ensure that energy access results in development and the creation of ‘smart villages’ in which many of the benefits of life in modern societies are available to rural communities. www.e4sv.org | [email protected] | @e4SmartVillages CMEDT – Smart Villages Initiative, c/o Trinity College, Cambridge, CB2 1TQ Publishing © Smart Villages 2015 The Smart Villages Initiative is being funded by the Cambridge Malaysian Education and Development Trust (CMEDT) and the Malaysian Commonwealth Studies Centre (MCSC) and through a grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundation (TWCF). The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Cambridge Malaysian Education and Development Trust or the Templeton World Charity Foundation. This publication may be reproduced in part or in full for educational or other non-commercial purposes. NEWN EWTECH TECHNOLOGIESNOLOGIES FOR FOR OFF OFF-GRID-GRID VILLAGES VILLAGES: A LOOK: A LOOK AHEAD AHEAD Contents Summary 2 Workshop Proceedings 2 Introductions and setting the scene 2 Lighting, power electronics, communications and health 3 Distributed energy for rural Africa: powering the un-grid 4 Energy for development: business opportunities for community mini-grids 5 Boosting the future efficiency of solar technology 5 Graphene-based dye-sensitized solar cells 6 Water for all: technological and cultural implications 7 Bioenergy from plants and algae 7 Biomass-fueled 5-20kW Stirling engine for off-grid applications 8 Jugaad Innovation: challenges and opportunities in commercialising affordable solutions for lowincome communities 8 Engineering Sustainability 9 Final discussion and overview: where we are and where we could be by 2030 9 Annex 1: Workshop Programme 10 Annex 2: Speakers 11 -1- e4sv.org NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR OFF-GRID VILLAGES: A LOOK AHEAD Summary The purpose of the workshop was to bring the ‘smart villages’ initiative(www.e4sv.org), together leading UK researchers to discuss a three-year project to advance sustainable emerging technologies for the sustainable pro- energy provision for development in off-grid duction and use of energy in rural communi- villages in Africa, Asia and Latin America. ties in developing countries, and to take a ‘look ahead’ at scientific developments and technol- The workshop agenda and attendance are given ogies that might be influential over the next at annexes 1 and 2 respectively. 10-20 years. It was held under the auspices of Workshop Proceedings Introductions and setting the scene ccess through micro/mini-grids and home- Professor Sir Brian Heap, University of based approaches. The SVI is currently funded Cambridge and Dr John Holmes, University of by the Malaysian Commonwealth Studies Oxford Centre at Cambridge and the core team is applying for additional support from the The driving motivation behind the Smart Templeton World Charity Foundation. Villages Initiative (SVI) is that energy access acts as a catalyst for development, enabling The SVI aims to realise its goal through education and local business opportunities, providing policymakers with insightful, improving health and welfare,and enhancing bottom-up analyses oft he challenges of vil- democratic engagement. The SVI aims to help lage-level energy provision for development, achieve the United Nation’s goal of achieving and propose recommendations about how universal access to electricity by 2030. In par- these challenges may be overcome. This will ticular, it aims to help achieve rural energy a be achieved with the support of international Professor Sir Brian Heap, University of Cambridge e4sv.org -2- NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR OFF-GRID VILLAGES: A LOOK AHEAD experts in the natural and social sciences, and only a solar cell and battery, and can provide through the regional and global networks of continuous light for 100,000 hours(11 years), organizations such asthe European Academies compared to about 1000 hours for incandes- Science Advisory Council (EASAC) and the cent bulbs. InterAcademy Panel (IAP). It is proposed to hold a series of six regional workshops that will Current LED lights use the man-made material bring together top African, Asian, American Gallium Nitride (GaN) as the semiconductor and European scientists and key stakeholders material,grown on small sapphire or silicon (e.g. entrepreneurs, NGOs, financers, policy- carbide wafers, but these are expensive. Sir makers etc.).The workshops will start in June Colin’s lab is developing LED lights which can 2014 and be held in Tanzania (East Africa), be grown on 6-inch diameter silicon wafers in Ghana (West Africa), India(South Asia), an automated process, therefore substantially Malaysia (South-east Asia), Bolivia (South decreasing the cost, which is currently approx- America) and Mexico (Central America). imately £15 for a high-power (60 Watt equiva- lent) replacement LED bulb. Plessey, the Plym- Each workshop will be followed by a set of outh-based company producing GaN bulbs follow-up activities that include disseminating based on the Cambridge technology has already conclusions and recommendations through received an order for 20 million bulbs from the workshop report, preparation of policy China, illustrating thei mpact these bulbs can briefs and briefing meetings,training courses, have in both emerging and developed markets entrepreneurial competitions and a final event in the very near term. with key stakeholders. Other activities will include preparation of a vision paper, a booklet In the longer term, GaN-based technologies of invited essays, and a pocket guide for the have the potential to benefit rural villages in a media and tertiary students, development of a number of ways. AlGaN-based LEDs producing website, and final workshops in Brussels and deep UV radiation can be used to destroy Addis Ababa. pathogens that cause water-borne illnesses and can be powered off-grid using solar PV + Lighting, power electronics, battery, but efficiencies are currently too low communications and health to purify flowing water: a further 2 to 10 years Professor Sir Colin Humphreys, Cambridge research is needed. GaN power electronics are40% more efficient than silicon based tech- Improving the energy efficiency of lighting nologies enabling easier off-grid charging and would be one of the most straight-forward use of mobile phones, computers etc. LEDs can ways to decrease energy consumption, poten- provide a cheaper and more energy efficient tially by up to 50% according to the US Depart- basis for transmitting wireless internet using ment of Energy. LED lights are made from light waves instead of radio waves although a light-emitting semiconductors and are much further 3 to 10 years R&D is needed for com- more efficient (30-60% efficiency) than incan- mercial application. Multi-junction InGaN descent (5%) or fluorescent bulbs (20-25%). solar cells could in 5 to 10 years enable the pro- LEDs have recently become so efficient that duction of more efficient solar cells. they can be used for off-grid lighting powered by solar PV with batteries. Their efficiency is anticipated to continue to increase for the next 10 years. LED lights are a good fit for off-grid villages because of they can be operated with -3- e4sv.org NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR OFF-GRID VILLAGES: A LOOK AHEAD Distributed energy for rural Africa: The presentation also established that there is powering the un-grid significant demand for off-grid solar in Africa Dr Simon Bransfield-Garth, Azuri Technologies and that as a result of demographics and potential economic development pathways, Dr Bransfield-Garth’s presentation brought the demand for affordable consumer elec- forward the premise that markets in emerging tronics that meet information, entertainment, countries are underdeveloped and the present knowledge and entrepreneurship needs will focus should be on how to use the latest tech- substantially increase. The presentation also nology currently available to meet market stressed the need to view the economic and needs. Recent technology developments with social benefits of energy at the margin and the capacity to make a difference include the advocated a tiered approach to energy demand use of mobile phones to pay bills, LED lights and supply. and drones to deliver medicines. Technology can help address market failures, for example The presentation highlighted Azuri’s Indigo the internet can create a viable market for project where a 2.5W solar home system is crops. sold as a pay-as-you-go energy service to households. This business model overcame There are leapfrog opportunities in develop- the common barriers of a high up-front cost ing countries. For example, an ‘un-grid’ vision and continued maintenance. Field data were of the future would replace conventional grid presented that suggested that Indigo has extension as the means of providing energy allowed households to save money (around access with a distributed power approach in 50% of previous monthly bills for kerosene which electricity is generated from renewable and mobilephone charging) and time, and sources at the level of the home or community. that there have been social and economic DC power would drive a new generation of impacts. Indigo has helped deliver aspirations low power, low voltage domestic appliances. to younger generations, primarily by helping A relevant analogy is the replacement of the the generation to step up and leave behind the landline by the mobile phone.